Just Like Old Times
by Katana Mama
Summary: When Kurama returns to the Makaian Forests after so many years, he meets up with an old friend in dire trouble. Will he leave his other world behind to be with her again? (KuramaXOC) [Hints of Shounen-Ai in later chapters] (Now fixed)
1. Discovery

Well, this is my first real attempt at a decent YYH fanfic. Admittedly, it may not be very good as of right now, due to the fact I tend to start off things slow, but I did only some up with this idea yesterday afternoon. In other words, bear with me. ^^; Anyways, this fanfic does involve Kurama with an OC, so if you don't go for that sort of thing, there are plenty of yaoi and other stories floating about for you to look at. I kindly ask that no one flame me, but if you do, give a good reason. I'm always looking for ways to improve. Anyways, I'll try to keep this relatively active, unlike my other YGO fic, which I do need to update. Oo; Here's a few pointers:

_Slant print_ translates to a character's thoughts.

Three asterisks (***) indicate a scene change.

I also may be making cultural references and using some Japanese words during the course of this fic. If I do, I'll be sure to put notes at the end of every chapter. Honest. ^_~ Now, then...On with the story!

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**Just Like Old Times- Chapter One**

"Well, he was tougher than your average demon."

Yusuke slowly got up from his kneeling position and looked over to Kuwabara with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"You act like you did something! Hiei and me did most of the work! You stayed behind and watched most of this whole thing."

Kuwabara walked straight up to Yusuke getting about an inch from his face. Yusuke could tell he'd had fish for lunch.

"So what are you saying? That I'm a coward?!"

"Well, if the shoe fits!"

"I dare you to say that again!"

"IF THE SHOE FITS!!"

Hiei simply looked on at the two bickering boys wondering how he could have gotten stuck working with the idiots.

"It's amazing how they can go on and on with their petty bickering," he said with a slight sneer. Kurama looked down at his fellow demon and chuckled softly.

"Well, it is Yusuke and Kuwabara you're talking about."

"...Point taken. But he's dead, so what's the point in arguing?"

It was true that the small band of Spirit Detectives had chalked up another win for Koenma by "solving" their latest case- Taking out a particularly nasty fire demon. He'd been hard to find located so deep in the Makai, but with Koenma's connections, he'd been located before he could cause panic among the residents of a nearby community, who would have more than likely fled to the Human Realm at the first sign of danger. He hadn't been able to find him before he started destroying some of the Makaian Forests, though.

Kurama looked over at the forests as Yusuke and Kuwabara kept fighting and Hiei just kept watching. It's been a long time since he was there last. Nearly 30 years. He wondered if they were still there...

As he gazed on, Yusuke and Kuwabara finally called a cease-fire for the moment and stepped away from each other, eyeing the other warily. 

"I guess we'd better be getting back now. Keiko's probably worried or something..." Yusuke mumbled. Kuwabara had to visibly struggle with himself not to say anything. "You two ready?"

"I've been ready. I was just waiting to see if any more demons decided to try to come and eat you from all the noise you were making." Hiei replied.

"Nice to know you care, Hiei. What about you Kurama? ...Kurama?"

Kurama was still gazing into the forest's depths, thinking about his past. There were so many things that happened in that brush. Seeing it again was bringing all those memories flooding back...

"Yo! Kurama! Are you ready to leave?!"

Kurama snapped out of his trance and looked at Yusuke bewilderedly. 

"Oh, um... Now that I think about it, I think I may stay here for a bit longer. Check out a few things. You all can go on ahead."

"Are you sure about that? I mean, if you've got a feeling, maybe we should all..."

"No, no. I assure you. It's nothing you should concern yourselves with. I just need to see something. Go on."

"Well, okay, I guess. Just be careful."

"I will. No need to worry, Yusuke."

Hiei felt there might be, and Kurama knew it. His glare practically burned a wound into his left cheek.

"Go on, Hiei. I'll be fine."

With that, Kurama began walking away from the group towards the forest. Soon, he was lost to sight, swallowed by the underbrush.

"Do you really think we should leave him here alone?" Kuwabara said to no one in particular.

"If he says he'll be fine, then he will." Hiei responded. "I'm going." And he immediately did just that, disappearing into thin air, as per his trademark.

"God, I hate it when he does that." Kuwabara muttered with a sour look on his face.

"You're just mad because you can't do it."

"What was that, Urameshi?!"

And so, the truce was broken and the argument started up again as Botan showed up on the scene to try and take them home...

***

Kurama pressed on through the dense forest, not knowing exactly where he was, but still knowing he was going in the right direction.

"I guess after 30 years, this place would be a bit more lush."

Soon, though, he came to a wide clearing lined with sycamore and ash trees. It seemed familiar to him. As he sniffed the air, he could tell why. Though it was extremely faint, he could smell his own scent there. He'd been there before. As he explored the clearing a bit more, he found an old mark on the trunk of an older ash tree. It seemed to be made by two pairs of claws, one smaller than the other. Immediately, he thought of his younger years...and of her.

"How could I have forgotten...?"

Just then, his memories were interrupted by the sound of a fox's howl coming not far from where he was. He turned toward the sound and saw a kitsune running in his direction as fast as she could. She looked frantic. Despite his human nature, he hid himself out of sight behind the ash tree and let her pass by. Unfortunately for the girl, she fell not far after she passed the trunk, tripping on one of the aboveground roots. She moaned audibly as the sounds of another, heavier, pair of footsteps approached.

"Got you this time, poppit..."

Kurama heard the sound of the hunter notching a bolt in a crossbow, and prepared to help aid the girl, when she turned to look at the man herself. Kurama was stunned by what he saw.

_"Keita?!"_

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Who's this "Keita" person? How does Kurama know her? Better yet, what connection do they share? What's with that hunter guy sounding like a reject from _Pirates of the Caribbean?!_ Find out in the next chapter! ^^


	2. Meeting

Well, here's Chapter 2 of my little fic. Some things will be revealed about Kurama's past. (I would like people to keep in mind that this does differ from his backstory in the actual animé slightly.) Some people may like what they read; others may not. It's all up to you. Read on, if you wish. For those that do, I thank you. ^^ Now then.... On with the story!

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Just Like Old Times- Chapter 2

As Kurama looked on in utter shock, he began to remember the last time that he'd seen her, all those years ago...

_"Keita...Just look at you...You've grown so much..."_

Keita cut a lovely figure. Slender and pale-skinned, her ebony hair contrasted sharply to her appearance. Her dark blue apparel added to her seemingly uncharacteristic look. But what struck Kurama so deeply were her eyes. Those crimson orbs had stayed the same for the past 30 years...

Kurama's thoughts were once again cut short as while she glared at her pursuer, she lifted her head to the forest canopy and let out a moaning howl. It reverberated all around the three of them, filling every corner of the clearing and going out beyond. The wind seemed to carry it away as the seconds ticked by. Then the hunter fired. Keita barely had time to let the bolt stray from piercing her skull, receiving a gazed left cheek in its place. She growled audibly at the hunter as he cursed and began reloading.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you, Hunter."

The sound of Keita's hard voice made him freeze.

"Oh? And why is that? You've got nowhere to run, vixen. If you were going to try escaping again, you would have done it by now. By the looks of the way you're layin' there, though, you must've hurt that pretty little ankle of yours. You're as good as dead."

"I believe you have our situations switched about, as you're clearly surrounded with more than two dozen loaded longbows pointed directly at your head. You're the one who's as good as dead if you fire upon me again. The only harm your bolt could really do is give me a slightly deep wound."

Both Kurama and the hunter looked about at Keita's revelation and found the observation to be true. 

All around them, kitsune[1] warriors stood at the ready, longbows drawn tight and ready to let their shafts fly should the hunter try to make a move. The hunter winced visibly as he knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place, and lowered his weapon. The kitsunes kept theirs up, however. 

After a bit of struggling, Keita got to her feet and stood in the same spot, looking on at the hunter. 

"I'll let you live provided you heed this warning. Leave this forest and never return. We wish to live in peace for the moment. We don't bother you humans, so don't bother us. We've done nothing to you. Just let us be."

"Heh. You stupid woman... We know you haven't done anything to us. That's not why we hunt you."

"Oh? Then why?! Why do you kill us?!"

"For the thrill!"

At that, an arrow flew from the hunter's left, which he had no time to block. The shaft pierced his head, killing him instantly. Keita looked sharply to the source of the shot and caught a furious glare in her eyes as she saw the archer.

"Obari! Why did you do that?!"

A tall, strong-looking kitsune stepped into the sunlight and began walking toward Keita. His large frame and the scars over both his eyes gave him quite the foreboding appearance. Despite this, Keita stood her ground.

"He deserved it."

"We both know that, but that only gives them more reason to come after us!"

"Open your eyes, Keita! Those bastards would come after us regardless! Now that they know we're here, we have to get them before they get us." 

Keita sighed heavily at Obari's words, knowing he was right. The hunters had slowly but surely coming after them ever since that first day when one of them had stumbled across their old village by accident. Unfortunately, he escaped before anyone could catch hold of him and shut him up about it. As well as kitsune pelts sell on the Black Market, it wasn't long before Keita and her whole brood became marked demons.

As Keita looked up to speak to Obari again, she caught sight of Kurama. She immediately tensed and Obari drew his longbow, notching another arrow in preparation in case the stranger proved to be another threat.

Kurama, knowing he'd been spotted, came from out of his hiding place with his arms raised.

"I don't mean you any harm. I was just watching."

Keita sniffed the air briefly, then resumed her staring at Kurama.

"You don't smell entirely human. It's kind of familiar, now that I think about it."

"You may indeed remember me, Keita. I certainly remember you."

Obari drew his bow tighter and took more careful aim.

"Who are you to be able to speak to Keita that way? I never remember seeing you around here before."

Kurama smirked slightly at his comment.

"You wouldn't, I'm sure. But Keita wouldn't know me because she's never seen me in this form. She might remember me in my old one, however."

At that, Kurama's body began glowing with an eerie white light. All the kitsunes had to lower their bows and shield their eyes at its brightness. After a few moments, the glow faded and disappeared, and where the red-haired boy once stood, a white-haired kitsune took his place. Keita's eyes widened as she began walking slowly toward the figure, the slight twist in her ankle having healed by then.

"By Enma...It's you. Yoko...It's really you!"

Yoko smiled as Keita ran and threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. He returned the gesture and kissed her head lightly.

"Yes, Keita. I'm back. I told you I would be."

"But that was all those years ago... And I heard you'd died in that heist you tried to pull... I really thought--"

"Don't worry about it, Keita. I'm here now. Live and in the fur. So to speak."

They both let go of each other and Yoko looked down at the shorter kitsune, surprised to see she had tears in her eyes.

"I see the past 30 years haven't affected your sense of humor."

"Actually, they have. For the better, you could say."

"You'll have to tell me everything! Everything you've done over the years! We have so much to catch up o--"

"Hold on!"

Keita turned at Obari's objection with a look of utter annoyance.

"You're telling me that's the legendary Yoko Kurama? The Kitsune King of Thieves? Don't make me laugh..."

Yoko moved Keita aside slightly as he moved toward Obari. He smirked slyly as he approached him, pulling a seed from his hair and immediately advancing it into its adult form, a beautiful red rose.

"Sounds as if you may have a problem with me, friend." Yoko said in an even tone. "I wouldn't want that to be the case. We only just met. Obari, right?"

"Don't talk to me like that, outsider! I'm Captain Obari to you! Only the Brood Mother can call me by my first name alone!"

_Brood Mother? Keita? Well, that's something I never expected."_ Yoko thought. "Well, if that's the case, kindly forgive me, Captain. I did not mean to offend."

"Well, you did. And you have some nerve trying to pass yourself off as Yoko Kurama! Everyone knows he died 15 years ago trying to pull off some robbery."

"I assure you that rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated. It's a very long story that I don't choose to go into at the moment. Perhaps another time."

"You can say anything you want! I'll never believe that you're him."

"That's up to you. It only proves that you can never see what's right under your nose..."

This got a few chuckles from the gallery of kitsunes still looking on around the clearing. When Keita saw Obari start to seethe under his breath, she decided to step in.

"All right, that's enough. This is no time for arguing. We need to get back to the village. The old ones and the kits will be worried. Everyone, let's go! Balsar! Tetaru! Act as scouts!"

Immediately, two of the younger archers smartly saluted and ran off as fast as the Northern Wind [2] itself. The others soon followed, Obari going with them, but not without a final glare at Yoko, which was only met by a condescending smile.

"Well, it looks like I made a new friend."

"And what a friend to make." Keita replied. "But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we're together again..."

"I know, Keita. I know."

Yoko took Keita by the shoulders and kissed her deeply while the light slowly began creeping from the sky....

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Author's Notes: [1]Kitsune (kit-soon, or kit-sue-neigh)- Japanese for fox. Often in fanfics such as these, people use the term to refer to fox demons, as is the case here. ^^

[2]Northern Wind- This is actually a Pokémon reference, lol. Suicune is also known as the Northern Wind, and is famous not only for its beauty and purification ability, but for it's incredible speed. The Thunder Cat, or Raikou, is the fastest, however.

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It appears as if Yoko and Keita were more than just acquaintances back in the day. Just what will happen now that they're back together after 30 long years? And who spit in Obari's rice? * Find out in the next chapter! ^^

*Just another way of asking, "Why does Obari have such an attitude? lol


	3. Memories Pt 1

Chapter 3 is here, and with it come some startling things. I won't give any extreme details, but you will find out more about Obari and Keita's past, and what started their current predicament. You'll have read on find out what happened, so get let's get started. On with the story! ^^

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Just Like Old Times- Chapter 3

Hiei couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. As he stood at the edge of the Makaian Forests, his fiery eyes gazed deeply into the brush, his concentration obvious.

He was searching for Kurama's Spirit Energy.

He was surprised to find that is wasn't that far into the forest. He was also surprised to find that he wasn't alone. There was another, slightly weaker power directly next to him, with several small energies moving away from them.

"It seems Kurama's met up with someone. I'd better check on things."

As Hiei made to take to the trees, he stopped. Why was he doing this? Kurama was simply an ally, right? No... He was more than that. Kurama was a friend. Someone he could depend on to be there. More like a...

"No. That's not it at all. A friend. Kurama is just...a friend."

Hiei growled audibly at himself and jumped to the nearest tree branch, making his way toward Kurama.

***

Yoko and Keita finally parted from one another's lips and gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

"It's been so long since I had one of your kisses, Yoko."

"Yes. Far too long."

Yoko began running his fingers through her hair, each strand feeling like a thread of silk to his sensitive touch. Keita nuzzled against his hand, feeling his warmth against the side of her face. It'd been like this when he'd left... Who would have believed his return would be exactly the same?

Keita's thoughts of that painful day in the past brought back her painful memories of the present.

"Yoko..."

"Yes?"

"We can't do this now..."

"Why?"

"Because. My brood... We're in terrible trouble. The hunters... Well, I'll just have to wait until we get to the village. It's not safe here at the moment."

"You can tell me right here. I'll protect you if anyone comes."

"That's not what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid one of those...men...come along and find the trail everyone left behind. It's my job to cover our tracks. We mostly don't leave a trail any normal human could follow, but these particular hunters seem smarter than your average ones..."

"I see. I suppose you're right then. I'll help you out. Then we can go to your village and catch up on everything."

Keita smiled sadly at Yoko before setting off about her duties. Yoko looked after her with worry, not liking seeing his former mate-to-be looking the way she did. All he could do was sigh as Keita was already deeply set in her task and turn to do his part to help.

As this went on, Hiei stood high in a treetop looking down on them. He'd seen just about everything, having come in as Yoko let go of Keita after their kiss and began speaking to her.

Part of him was glad that Kurama wasn't about to get into a fight. Yet, another part of him felt shattered in a way, seeing Kurama hold someone like that, with that look in his eyes. It made a sadness quickly wash over Hiei, which was almost as quickly replaced by jealous anger. Who was that girl Kurama was with, anyway? And why was she there? Why did Kurama kiss her and look at her like that? One why after another filled Hiei's head until that was all he could hear. Then he felt something hit his hand and he looked up toward the top of the tree. He didn't see any birds that might have dropped something by accident. Something hit his hand again, and he caught the small object. He looked down to find one of his own tear gems in his palm. Hiei glared angrily at it and clenched his hand into a fist so hard, it brought more tears to his eyes and caused more gems to fall.

_"Kurama... WHY?!"_

Hiei disappeared to the plains of the Makai as quickly as he'd arrived in the forest, with both Yoko and Keita being none the wiser.

***

As Obari trudged on behind the main party, he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the clearing. All he could think about was that outsider being all alone with Keita. He snarled at the thought and turned his attention back to what was in front of him.

Obari had worked long and hard up the ranks after Keita had won the battle to become the Brood Mother. He'd grown to fancy her ever since she joined the brood all those years ago. Back then, they were both barely out of kithood, and Keita was so quiet and reserved. Almost sad, like her entire world had just crumbled. Only after some careful coaxing and major trust building did Keita even begin holding the simplest of conversations with him.

All she usually talked about was the stories about some young kitsune making a big stir in among the Thieves' Guild because of his extraordinary skills. His name happened to be Yoko Kurama. When Keita talked about him, she got the brightest sparkle in her eyes, like she knew him…and loved him. It made Obari's insides churn with hatred.

What was so special about this man? So what, he could steal a few trinkets without being caught. Obari was a strong, loyal kitsune, and favored by the elders. He'd be a much better mate for Keita than some thief would. He'd prove it by being the best solider the brood had ever seen. That'd make Keita see…Sure.

So he'd trained hard, building himself up to be able to join the ranks of the small army the brood had to go up against any other demons who wanted their land. He eventually did make it, though not without his strides.

As Obari grew, so did his rank. And so did Keita. He still remembered clearly the day she left to become a full woman by way of the Rite. Obari wasn't exactly clear on what the Rite included, as no men are allowed to view it, but he did remember Keita looking so worn and tired upon her return. He had to help her into her den that night while the rest of the brood celebrated. She fell asleep as soon as she hit her bed. The way she looked when she was asleep only made Obari long for her more.

Soon after that, Keita challenged Katoro, the old Brood Mother, for her place. Many of the elders thought this was a rash and foolish gesture and told Keita as much. They said that she would surely be defeated, as Katoro had much more experience having fought many others in the past. Obari recalled her response clearly.

"We'll see."

Later that day, the entire brood looked on as Keita and Katoro battled for supremacy. It was a fierce bout. Both came at each other with fangs and claws bared, holding nothing back from each other. Many times both fell, but they both got back on their feet, refusing to back down from each other. Finally, after what had seemed hours, Keita struck Katoro a vicious blow to the back of the neck, instantly knocking her unconscience and clenching the victory. Many members of the brood were shocked at the outcome, but some were jubilant at her win and quickly came to congratulate and aid her with her wounds.

Obari was simply amazed that this small, shy girl had the power to take out Katoro in a match that lasted that long. His determination to become her mate was dead set after that day…But there was one little problem.

The Captain of the troops was set to be mate of the Brood Mother, as their pairing would result in the strongest kits to keep the brood alive. Obari was stuck as Lieutenant. He didn't know how he could ever become Keita's mate now. Fortunately, his problem was solved the next week, but in the most horrible way.

It was late in the evening and the brood was beginning to settle down for the night. The kits had already been to bed for hours (at least they were supposed to be, but a few were still out and about), as had the elders. A few of the privates were doing a last minute check of the surrounding area, when one of them let out a yell. All of the other men ran toward the sound with Keita and Obari leading the pack, only to find the young private slain and lying in a pool of his own blood.

Keita was horrified. She'd never seen a dead body before, at least not one that had looked like that. It was clearly visible that she as likely to be ill, but she retained most of her composure. She simply bowed her head and mourned for the young one.

"Poor little Kyo… He didn't deserve to die like this...

She then lifted her head and caught a steely look in her eyes that Obari would see many more times as the years went by.

"I want whoever did this found and brought to me…NOW!"

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Who was the one that killed Kyo, and why? You already know the answer, but it does help to have a little background, right? What did Obari and Keita do about the killer? And how many times has Obari run into a tree thinking about his memories? Find out in the next chapter! ^^


	4. Memories Pt 2

**Just Like Old Times- Chapter 4**

Immediately, all the able-bodied tribe members spread out and began searching for the murderer. Small, thudding footstep and low growls were the only things that could be heard amongst them.

They covered the vast area of the old village relatively quickly, not knowing that their enemy hid in the shadows just beyond their sight…

Prague couldn't believe his luck. After only becoming a Demon Hunter for about a month, he'd gone and found a whole brood of kitsunes! Upon discovering their village, he daydreamed of all the money he'd be counting after he sold off all their pelts to retail merchants, them believing it was some new breed of fox. They would never guess they were selling their customers the skin of a demon. Then again, people wear croc-demon skin boots all the time, so what was the big deal?

The only problem was that the Hunter had now become the Hunted. The kit he'd killed off managed to let out a howl before he bit, alerting the others. Now he was caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with his prey, him being on the other side of the fence.

The outlook wasn't good. The kitsunes had heightened senses; better hearing, keener eyesight, extreme tracking ability. Not to mention that this was their home turf. All he had was his little bit of training and experience, a few dirks and daggers, and a tranquilizer gun. The odds were obviously stacked against him, and he knew it. But Prague has always been a gambling man, and he wasn't about the ultimate chance to test his luck slip by.

Prague treaded as silently as he could through the forest, making the best use of the cover the trees gave. He'd not gone far when two of the kitsunes from the brood came from the trees in front of him. He quickly ducked behind a large elm and prayed that they hadn't seen him. 

A quick glance at the two of them told him that one was a regular member of the brood, but the other held some sort of important rank and was much bigger than the other to boot. Prague smiled inwardly.

"Heh. If I take out the big one, then the little one shouldn't pose a problem. Just a quick slice to the throat would do him. I'd best shoot the big one, though…"

He quietly loaded his rifle with a bullet and took careful aim at the larger of the two kitsunes, waiting for the perfect time to strike…

Obari and the captain of the troops, Tenka, had been searching for the murderer together the whole time and come deep into the woods following his scent. Tenka was deeply focused on the mission, but Obari had his mind on other things, the main thing being Keita's well being. He remembered seeing her take a troop of privates herself to find the killer. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up dead herself.

He let out a concerned growl, which Tenka picked up on. The older kitsune looked back at him smirking.

"Worried about our new Brood Mother, are you?"

Obari was shocked that the other was able to tell what he was thinking. Tenka's smile merely widened at the sight on his junior's look of amazement.

"Everyone knows that you've been pining after Keita for a while now. It's not that hard to miss," he said chuckling. "It's only too bad that you can't be her mate. You two seem so perfect for each other. She's always been so quiet and you've been the only one so far who can make her sit and actually hold a decent conversation."

"Too bad they've only been about that thief…"

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Captain Tenka…"

Tenka saw Obari's face suddenly be overcome by sadness and sighed heavily. 

"Well, you know… I am getting on in years. Perhaps it's time that I let someone else take over my place. Someone quick and strong that could protect the village with all his heart."

Obari's ears pricked up and his eyes widened at what Tenka had just said. He couldn't be suggesting that…

"Well? Would you be willing to take my place, Obari? Could you protect everyone with your whole heart as I have?"

"Yessir!" Obari said excitedly. He quickly composed himself at the look he received. "I mean, yes, I can, sir. I would give my all and more to protect my brood."

"Hm. Well, then. It's settled. Pending a review from the Elders, you'll be the new Captain upon our return." Tenka said smiling.

Obari was thrilled. In that moment, he was completely lost in his happiness and hugged Tenka heartily.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for what you've done…"

Tenka was taken aback at what Obari had just done, but smiled nonetheless and threw a caring arm around him.

"You're more than welcome…Son."

During this whole thing, Prague had been carefully waiting for the chance to take his shot, and now was the perfect chance. Smiling sadistically, he pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet struck Tenka in the temple. 

Instantly, Tenka's grip on Obari loosened and he fell to the ground, slain. It took a moment in Obari's mind that his father was dead. As he stared into Tenka's empty eyes, he felt his own well up with tears. 

"F-Father? Father?! FATHER!!"

Obari fell to his knees, too shocked to even touch his dead father's face. All at once, he was overcome by anger and sadness and let out a deep mournful howl. Prague knew then that the others would come running and there was no way he could get away from the entire pack.

"Looks like Lady Luck wasn't with me tonight…"

Prague quickly made a hasty retreat to the edges of the forest, only praying he wouldn't come across any frenzied warriors along the way.

Keita and her troop being the closest to them, were the first to arrive at the spot where Obari kneel howling and Tenka lay dead. Keita was horrified that Tenka's life had been taken just as Kyu's had, only much more viciously. She felt an overwhelming wave of sadness and pity wash over her as she listened to Obari's mournful howls.

"Obari… What happened here…?"

Obari turned at the sound of Keita's voice, his face strewn with tears and grief. He couldn't bring himself to face her for very long looking as he did and merely turned away, not saying a word. Keita walked over to him and knelt beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Obari shied from her touch slightly and tried to move so that she wouldn't see him continue to cry, but Keita only took him into her arms and hugged him firmly.

"It's all right, Obari. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."

At that, the gates to Obari's emotions completely broke and he sobbed long and hard into Keita's chest. Keita herself felt tears come to her eyes as she glanced at Tenka's lifeless corpse and held her best friend in her arms as he wept for him.

"If only Yoko were here… He'd know what to do… But he's not. So I have to handle things."

"I want all of you to find that man. I can smell his scent here. He can't be too far away. Go, Now!"

Immediately, all the troops that had stood by and watched what had happened between Keita and Obari rushed away tracking the scent of Prague. This left Keita and Obari alone for a minute, as all the others got closer to them.

"He was holding me…" Obari whispered.

"What?"

"He was holding me… Almost just like you are now. He'd just given me the greatest gift. We were both happy. Then he got shot. That bullet rang out as loud as a thunderclap… Now he'll never be happy again…"

"That's not true, Obari. He'll be happy as he watches down on you in the years to come. You have to remember that."

Obari looked up at Keita with his tear-reddened eyes and looked back down at his hands in front of him.

"Yes… He'll be happy when I kill the bastard human that did this to him with my bare hands…"

Obari felt Keita's grips on his shoulders tighten, and he looked up at her confused.

"I know how much you're hurting right now. Though it was a long time ago, I can remember when I lost my parents. But as much pain as you feel, you have to remember. No amount of revenge will bring him back." 

"But…"

"No buts! You can't let rage and hated take over who you are, Obari. You'll only end up destroying yourself. All you can do is make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."

Obari lowered his head again, taking Keita's hands off his shoulders and holding them in his. 

"I will. I vow to you here and now that I won't let anyone else be killed by a hunter. It is my duty as Captain…"

"What do you mean?"

"My father… Right before he died, he relinquished his position over to me…"

"I see. I will take your word for it, Obari. I trust your words with all my heart. I officially name you Captain of our troops. Now go. Lead your men and find the murderer."

"As you wish, my Lady."

With a quick bow and renewed confidence, the new Captain trotted off in the direction the killer's scent went. As he glanced over his shoulder to get one final look at his father, he saw Keita bow deeply and mourn deeply for Tenka. He quickly turned away from the scene and set about the business at hand, dead set on getting his man…

***

The troops returned home later that night empty-handed. The human had gotten away. An emergency council meeting was called and it was unanimously decided that the village would have to be moved. No one was safe now that someone knew their whereabouts. 

The next night, under the cover of darkness, the entire village moved to new location and settled down. Not soon afterward, however, they were found again and a massacre followed. Many of the kits were killed and their pelts stolen where they were slain. The village mourned the loss of most of their young ones, none more so than Keita, though none were hers, but everyone was soon on the move again, finding a new place to settle down. This went on for several years until the elders finally found a way that it was impossible for humans to track them using mere human means. After they cast the magic, the entire brood moved to place far away from their last location, hoping it would be the final place they would have to live. And it was. Until now.

Keita was fortunate that Obari had sensed something was wrong and came looking for her when she was off walking by herself. During all the years they had lived together in the same den (as the Captain and the Brood Mother must), he felt an even more special bond form between himself and Keita. He knew when she was sad, angry, happy. He pretty much knew how all her moods were. But during all that time, they never once mated. Every time it had come up, Keita would become agitated and go off on her own, leaving Obari feeling rejected but not down for the count. He knew that she'd see eventually. 

It was during one of Keita's walks that the hunter had come across her and gave chase. But now, not only did they come across another hunter, they come across the object of Keita's desires. That damn thief… 

"Why did he have to still be alive? Why did he have to come back here?!" Obari growled to himself.

"Did you say something, Captain?" asked a private that had fallen back to check on the Captain and overheard his grumblings.

"Nothing to concern yourself with. Go back with the main body."

"Yes, Captain."

As the young private ran off towards the main body, Obari seethed under his breath.

"We'll see who wins Keita's heart in the end, Thief…"

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Ooo, it looks like a rivalry is quickly forming between Obari and Kurama for Keita's affections. Who will win indeed win in the end? Will Keita finally give in to Obari's love? Or are first loves always the best? The only way to find out is to keep reading! ^^ 


End file.
